The Missing Piece to Lasting Pain Relief: It’s all in your mind.

I often get asked why I became an Acupuncturist. And I always get the same surprised looks when I answer, “it all started at 12 years old when my world took a 180 degree turn”.

You see there couldn’t have been a worse time for my parents to divorced. I was just about to turn 13 and start middle school with all my friends and my brand new boyfriend. It was my first true romance and I was head over heels.

I believed that if I was good, if I stayed in line, if I looked good, got good grades, and made good decisions I’d be popular, and successful, and happy. And it was working. I was a well loved happy little valley girl.

The universe had other plans for me.

In an instant I learned I’d be leaving it all and starting middle school in Hollywood, the big bad city, where life was scary and I knew no one.

I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. Like I failed and I wasn’t good enough.

Over the next few years the transition was hard. On the outside I looked like I had it all together. My family readjusted the best we could. Eventually I made good friends and had an active teenage social life.

But on the inside my self-esteem continued to plummet.

I gained weight. My low back began to hurt. And then my neck and shoulders. I felt awkward and heavy and my energy was low. And that hidden inner feeling of failure grew stronger.

By the time I graduated from high school I was thick and stiff and I felt like crap. I was lost. Transitioning into a successful young adult while carrying this heavy load was like lifting a boulder.

This was this pain that inspired me to become a healer.

Luckily holistic healing was pioneered on the West coast and I was exposed to massage and acupuncture at a young age. I loved the connection I had with my practitioners and the magic of pain relief they offered my body and soul.

By the time I was 24 I had enrolled in massage school. And I found I had a gift for it. Finally, I could cast off the inner critic and heal my own physical pain and emotional wounds.

But over time my pain returned. And I found that same pattern in my patients too. Even the patients with the best results came back asking me to heal their exhausted bodies once again, clueless about how they could possibly help themselves.

How could this miraculous body, with a magical spark of life that animates it, help itself with lasting pain relief rather than depending upon doctors and practitioners?

What I found is that the experience of pain, and therefore pain relief, happens in the brain. In chronic pain your ‘fight or flight’ brain chemicals have been turned on causing the body to tighten and armor itself, waiting for an attack.

The missing piece to lasting pain relief is a set of tools that empower you to turn these chemicals off, so you can relax, and release the chronic holding patterns of tension.

Like your own personal inner pharmacist, you can choose to secrete a brain brew to relax. Pain Relief. It’s inside job that you do for yourself.

Are you ready to dive into the toolbox? It’s called The Four Essential Practices for Lasting Pain Relief.

Practice #1 –  Inner Awareness

Being present with your pain rather than turning away brings comfort. Close your eyes. Imagine a wave of golden light swinging like a pendulum from above your head all the way through your body. Let it move slowly, gently unraveling any knots or tightness you find. Breathe deeply. Just listen, without needing anything to happen.

Practice #2 –  Allowing

Where does your body call your attention? Go there. There’s nothing to do. There’s nothing to change. Feel whatever you feel without turning away. Witness your pain. Witness your emotion. Is there a color? A shape? A sound? A memory? A feeling? Just allow what is to be what is.

Practice #3 – Self-Compassion

Pain relief will not last without the practice of self-compassion. Put your hand on your chest. Let the wise, loving part of you offer compassion to the wounded child in you. Thank the wounded child for holding the burden of pain. Offer compassion for yourself as you would for a child you love. Imagine holding the wounded you on your lap. Let the wise you nurture your wounded child.

Practice #4 – Gratitude

Gratitude affects us at a biological level. You can change your brain’s set point. With your eyes closed give thanks for your challenges. Recognize your pain story is your unique path for growth and is a gift.

My clients learn these practices when they begin working with me. They report longer lasting pain relief. They are set free from the separation and pre-occupation that chronic pain sufferers experience. They get their lives back, and that changes everything.

These tools have changed my life too. They’ve become my automatic go to anytime feel stress, pain or overwhelm. And they are in my own hands.

And now you have The Four Essential Practices for Lasting Pain Relief in your own hands. Try them out for a few weeks. And if you find they change your life, share them to those you love.

Bio: Laya Raznick is a long-time seeker who found there’s nowhere to go but deeper into you. She’s gathered a kindred clan who spends their time going from nowhere to now here. You’re invited! http://LayaRaznick.com

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